The combination of the Internet and high speed computers has provided computer users with a vast array of communications options from a single network communications device. Examples of communication options include Electronic mail or E-mail, text chat, instant messaging, voicemail and Voice over IP or VoIP. In particular, VoIP, which is a packet-switched voice communication, may be performed by an IP softphone application running on a Personal Computer (PC) or as a hardware device, such as an IP phone (donisys™ i750 or Avaya 4624™). An example of such an IP softphone is the Avaya IP Softphone™ manufactured by Avaya Inc. The software emulates a telephone and communicates signaling and voice information via an IP-network connection between the host computer and a telecommunication switching system (also referred to as a Private Branch Exchange or PBX) or directly to another device (also referred to as peer-to-peer). This network connection is often the Internet or a Local Area Network or LAN. Audio information being received from the network is communicated with the user via a headset or handset by means of a sound card that interfaces the headset or handset to the PC. When a user speaks, the sound card converts the analog information to digital information that the software then transmits to a destination via the network. When a call is received via the network for the IP softphone, the software alerts the user via an internal or external speaker attached to the PC.
Automatic initiation of a selected type of contact from a single communications device is desirable for user convenience. Various products provide limited functionality in this area. Avaya's IP Softphone™ highlights telephone numbers in web content (i.e., a HyperText Mark up Language or HTML page) accessed by Microsoft's Internet Explorer™. The numbers are located by the Softphone application before the web content is displayed to the user. The user can click on a highlighted number and the Softphone application will automatically initiate a VoIP contact to the number. Microsoft Outlook™, an email application, can perform searches for information associated with a person's name. When an email is received, the user can right click on the “FROM” field, and, in response, the Outlook application will look up the email address in the local address book. If it locates a telephone number for the email sender, Outlook provides the user with the option of automatically initiating a VoIP contact to the sender.
Existing applications for automatic initiation of contacts generally are limited to specific types of contacts and specific record search locations, require a code modification within the application, and/or are initiated by receipt of a communication from the other communicant.